Following criticism from opposition MPs regarding its necessity in a democracy and charges by the BJP of demeaning Indian culture, the'sengol' placed beside the Speaker's chair in the Lok Sabha has become the latest point of contention in this legislative session.
Samajwadi Party MP RK Chaudhary's letter to Speaker Om Birla about the'sengol', a handcrafted, five-foot-long, gold-plated sceptre, has sparked controversy. According to the Mohanlalganj MP, a copy of the Constitution must be used in place of the "sengol."
As reported by ANI, he said, "The adoption of the Constitution marked the beginning of democracy in the country, and the Constitution is its symbol. The BJP government in its last term installed 'sengol' next to the Speaker's chair. Sengol is a Tamil word that means sceptre. Rajdand also means the king's stick. We have become independent after the age of kings. Now, every man and woman who is an eligible voter chooses the government to run this country. So will the country run by Constitution or by a king's stick?"
The former minister from Uttar Pradesh insisted that in order to "save democracy," a copy of the Constitution be placed in place of the "sengol." The "sengol" was placed in the Lok Sabha chamber following a ceremony in the previous year. With 37 seats won in Uttar Pradesh under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, the Samajwadi Party is now the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha.
In response to a question concerning the statement made by a party MP, Mr. Yadav stated, "When 'sengol' was installed, the Prime Minister had bowed to it. But he forgot to bow while taking oath this time. I think our MP wanted to remind the Prime Minister about it."
Regarding the'sengol' controversy, senior Congress leader and MP B Manickam Tagore repeated the Samajwadi Party MP. As reported by NDTV, "We have been very clear that the 'sengol' symbolises kingship and the kingdom-era is over. We should celebrate the people's democracy and the Constitution."
The Samajwadi Party, according to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has no regard for Indian history or culture. On X AdityaYogi Nath said, "The remarks of their top leaders on the Sengol are condemnable and indicate their ignorance. It also shows INDIA bloc's hatred to Tamil culture in particular."
